Rare pink and purple aurora appears over northeast China

A rare pink and purple aurora appeared over parts of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province from the night of June 1 to the early hours of June 2, China Media Group (CMG) reports.

The unusual aurora display was caused by a geomagnetic storm triggered by a solar flare that erupted on May 31. Geomagnetic storms are intense global disturbances of the Earth's magnetic field caused by solar activity.

When the storm is strong enough, charged particles can penetrate the lower atmosphere, where they collide with nitrogen molecules to produce blue and violet light. This light mixes with red emissions from oxygen atoms in the upper atmosphere, resulting in a dreamy pink and purple glow.

Auroras in the Northern Hemisphere typically appear above 60 degrees north latitude. However, this exceptionally strong geomagnetic storm pushed the auroral activity zone southward to around 45 degrees north latitude, reaching northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. As a result, the cities of Jiamusi and Heihe in Heilongjiang Province witnessed the rare aurora display.

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